A+ Program. Mehlville High School. Andy Ross A+ Schools Coordinator. Mehlville High School Lemay Ferry Road St. Louis, MO (314) 467.

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1 Mehlville High School Andy Ross A+ Schools Coordinator Mehlville High School 3200 Lemay Ferry Road St. Louis, MO (314) Oakville High School Brian Brennan A+ Schools Coordinator Oakville High School 5557 Milburn Rd. St. Louis, MO (314) A+ Program Revised:

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3 Page 18 Page 3 Frequently Asked Questions Q: When can students join the A+ Program and begin training? A: Students may join anytime after second semester of their freshman year. They may begin tutoring ONLY after attending an A+ Training session with the A+ Coordinator AS WELL AS turning in a signed A+ Participation Agreement form. Q: How is A+ Attendance calculated? A: A+ attendance is calculated by actual days present. Q: Can students that attend South County Technical School be a part of the A+ Program? A: Yes. Q: What if a student is a part of the Virtual Program? A: The attendance of students in the Virtual Program is calculated after completing and passing the course. The attendance average of the Mehlville School District will be used for the virtual student. Q: How is Homebound attendance calculated? A: Students must complete the required hours as outlined through the Special School District Homebound Program. Q: Are students in the Missouri Options Program eligible to participate in the A+ program? A: Students in the Missouri Option Program graduate without a grade point average; therefore, they are not eligible for the A+ Program. For more information contact: Andy Ross A+ Schools Coordinator Mehlville High School 3200 Lemay Ferry Road St. Louis, MO (314) Brian Brennan A+ Schools Coordinator Oakville High School 5557 Milburn Rd. St. Louis, MO (314) If you have other questions, contact your A+ Coordinator.

4 Page 4 Page 17 Table of Contents A+ Check List for Seniors Goals.... page 5 Benefits of an A+ School for Students... page 5 Student Eligibility... page 6 Enrollment Requirements... page 7 Grade Point/Academic Requirements... page 7 Good Faith Effort to Secure Funding... page 8 Attendance Requirement... page 9 Attendance Appeal Guidelines... page 10 Attendance Review Process... page 10 Tutoring Requirement... page 11 Citizenship Requirement... page 12 Citizenship Requirement (cont)...page 13 Safe Schools Felony Violations..page 14 Citizenship Review Process... page 14 Maintaining Eligibility after Graduation... page 15 NEW Math Requirements... page 16 A+ Checklist for Seniors... page 17 Frequently Asked Questions... page 18 FAFSA Be sure to complete the FAFSA online at Attendance 95% average over 4 years (94.9% won t qualify). A+ attendance is calculated by days. Male students must register for Selective Service by age 18 at: GPA average or better over 4 years (2.49 won t qualify). Tutoring 50 hours, of which 12.5 hours may be job shadowing; must be done in District, supervised by a district faculty member. Must be academic in nature. All log sheets completing 50 hours due in A+ office one week prior to graduation. Attendance and citizenship appeals must be in writing in accordance with the guidelines on pages 9 and 13. Math requirements. Please refer to pg. 16 for details. (Several 4 Year Colleges/Universities offer A+ Scholarships. Please call the college or university you are interested in to see if they offer an A+ scholarship.)

5 Page 16 Page 5 Math Requirement Students must score advanced or proficient on the Missouri Algebra I End of Course (EOC) test, or meet the combined ACT Math/High School GPA score. ACT Math Score and High School GPA 17 and 2.5 or greater 16 and 2.8 or greater 15 and 3.0 or greater Class of 2017 ONLY must achieve a score of proficient or advanced on the Algebra I EOC, earn an equivalent score designated by the State on the ACT Math portion or the Compass test, or meet the combined ACT Math/High School GPA score. Standardized Test Scores Score Test 17 ACT math subtest 43 COMPASS Pre-Algebra 1 COMPASS Algebra OR ACT Math/High School GPA Scale ACT Math Score and High School GPA 17 and 2.5 or greater 16 and 2.8 or greater 15 and 3.0 or greater Goals of the A+ Schools Program The A+ Schools Program is designed to achieve the three basic goals set forth in the Outstanding Schools Act of All students will graduate from high school. 2. All students will complete a selection of high school studies that is challenging and has identified, measurable learner outcomes. 3. All students will proceed from high school graduation to a four-year college, community college, post-secondary vocational / technical school, or a high wage job with the skills necessary to succeed. Benefits of an A+ School for Students The qualifying graduating students will be eligible for the following: Financial incentives to attend any Missouri public community college or public vocational/technical school, or select 4 yr. universities in Missouri. Tuition incentives, granted after all available Federal post-secondary student financial assistance has been exhausted. Students receive this incentive for forty-eight months after graduation from high school. Students must be considered FULL-TIME students by the post-secondary institution and must maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Any financial incentives are contingent upon availability of state funds.

6 Page 6 Page 15 Student Eligibility Maintaining Eligibility after Graduation To be eligible for the financial incentives of the A+ Schools Program, the A+ Coordinator must certify a student as having met all A+ requirements. To be certified as an A+ Schools student, a student must: 1. Sign an A+ Student Agreement. 2. Attend a designated A+ School for three consecutive years immediately prior to graduation. 3. Graduate from an A+ School with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale. 4. Graduate from an A+ School with a cumulative attendance record of 95% or better. Cumulative attendance rate is based on days attended at the time of graduation. 5. Math Requirements: Please refer to page 16 for the Math requirement scores. 6. Perform 50 hours of unpaid tutoring on a Mehlville District campus, supervised by a district faculty member of which up to 12.5 hours may include job shadowing. 7. Maintain a record of good citizenship and avoidance of unlawful use of alcohol and drugs. 8. Secure all available federal post-secondary student financial assistance funds that do not require repayment. Be sure to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid.) Parents may apply online at: A certified A+ Schools student, who has graduated from Mehlville School District, has 48 months from high school graduation to take advantage of the financial incentives of the A+ Schools Program. A student who participates must: 1. Enroll in and attend on a full-time basis (minimum of 12+ hours) in a Missouri public community college or public vocational / technical school or select 4 yr. universities in Missouri. 2. Maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale while enrolled in the public community college or public vocational / technical school. 3. Complete a program or area of certification within 48 months from high school graduation - Delayed or interrupted enrollment results in scholarship eligibility of less than 48 months. - Students qualifying for a military deferment may have their eligibility extended beyond 48 months. A summary of students progress towards A+ status will be mailed each year.

7 Page 14 Page 7 Safe Schools Felony Violations 1st & 2nd-degree murder 1st-degree arson Kidnapping Sexual assault 1st & 2nd-degree assault Felonious restraint Forcible rape or sodomy 1st-degree property damage 1st-degree burglary Distribution of drugs to a minor Robbery Possession of a weapon Distribution of drugs Voluntary/involuntary manslaughter Provision of Chapter 571 MO Revised Statutes Citizenship Review Process 1. Upon removal, the student will have 15 days to file an appeal with the Principal s office at the student s high school. (An appeal form may be obtained from the A+ Coordinator s office. When filing an appeal, the student must use the A+ Citizenship Appeal form. 2. An appeals committee, made up of a teacher, principal, counselor, and the A+ Coordinator will review the infraction and determine if the appeal will be granted or denied. 3. After a decision is reached, the A+ Coordinator will notify the student and parents of the decision by mail. Enrollment Requirements Enrollment guidelines for A+ Schools Program are: Must attend an A+ designated high school for three consecutive years immediately prior to graduation. Must graduate from an A+ high school. Grade Point / Academic Requirements To meet the eligibility requirement for Grade Point Average (GPA), the student must: Graduate with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale. Averaging or rounding up to the next highest grade point is not allowed. The cumulative GPA is based on all four years of high school. Math Requirements: Please refer to page 16 for the Math requirement scores.

8 Page 8 Page 13 Good Faith Effort to Secure Funding To meet the eligibility requirement in order to secure A+ funding, the parent must: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA information must be sent to the community college or public vocational / technical school that the student is planning to attend. FAFSA can be completed online at Parents are encouraged to apply as early as possible, but not before January 1 of the year of the student s graduation. Parents must reapply for federal assistance by completing a new FAFSA after January 1 each year while their students are attending an A+ post-secondary institution. Citizenship continued The accumulation of 15 days or more of ISS during the current school year will result in A+ probation for the remainder of the current school year. Any further infractions resulting in an ISS or OSS suspension will result in immediate termination from the A+ program. If there are no other infractions during the probationary period, the student will return to good standing. -Students with prior ISS of 15 or more days may enter the program under probationary terms. A letter of probation will be sent to the student s home as notification that the student has been placed on A+ Citizenship Probation. Any violation of the A+ Citizenship Guidelines while the student is on probation will automatically terminate the student from the A+ Schools Program. Citizenship certification will be based upon the following: - discipline record of the student as determined by the grade level principals. - discipline record of the student as determined by the safe schools designee. - compliance with the disciplinary policies, procedures and consequences of the Mehlville School District. The school district reserves the right to remove a student from the A+ Program who has been charged, convicted, or pled guilty in a court of general jurisdiction (Missouri Circuit Court or Federal Court) for the commission of a felony violation of state or federal law.

9 Page 12 Page 9 Citizenship and Avoidance of Substance Abuse Requirement Participation in the A+ Schools Program is an honor and unique privilege for Mehlville School District students. A+ students are required to be good citizens. Any student who does not meet the citizenship requirement will not be eligible for the A+ financial incentive. The following guidelines for citizenship are in effect for all students participating in the A+ Schools Program: An A+ student will not sell, possess, or use any controlled substances as defined by law unless prescribed by a licensed physician. Any student who is suspended for an alcohol or drug-related offense is ineligible and immediately terminated from the A+ Schools Program. Any student who receives a 10-day BLS (building level suspension) or SPAR (suspension pending administrative review) will result in immediate termination from the A+ program. An accumulation of 10 or more days of out-of-school suspensions (OSS) in one school year will result in A+ probation for the remainder of the current school year plus the next school year. Any future infraction resulting in OSS days will result in immediate termination from the A+ program. If there are no further suspensions during the probationary period, the student will return to good standing. - Students with prior OSS of 10 or more days may enter the program under probationary terms, with the exception of a BLS or SPAR. Attendance Requirement A+ students are required to have a 95% cumulative attendance rate based on days attended, at the time of graduation. Any student who does not meet the 95% attendance requirement will not be eligible for the A+ financial incentive. The following guidelines for attendance are in effect for all students participating in the A+ Schools program: Cumulative attendance record will be kept from the beginning of the freshman year until graduation. Cumulative attendance information will be gathered from the official computerized information system used by the district. For students who attend tech school for part of the school day, attendance information will be obtained from the tech school and sent to the A+ Coordinator who will add this information to the district records. A+ students and their parents / guardians will be provided information regarding the student s A+ status annually. That information is obtained from the A+ Certification Summary sheet, which includes an cumulative attendance percentage rate. Rounding up of percentages is not allowed. A student may file an attendance appeal with the A+ Coordinator no later than one week prior to graduation. (See Attendance Appeal Guidelines page 9.) When filing an appeal, the student must do so using the A+ Attendance Appeal Form. An appeal form may be obtained from the A+ Coordinator s office or online by selecting the A+ News button on the high school s website.

10 Page 10 Page 11 Attendance Appeal Guidelines Catastrophic circumstances or accident -related injuries may cause a student to miss five or more days in a row. In such cases, students or parents may provide the A+ Coordinator with medical documentation which will be considered in reviewing a waiver of absence due to catastrophic circumstances. Routine medical and dental appointments and normal illnesses are not considered to be catastrophic. Attendance Review Process When all of the information is received, an A+ Attendance Review Committee will meet to determine if an appeal for the absences will be granted. (Students may file an attendance appeal only one time during their entire high school career.) All appeals must be turned in at least one week prior to graduation. The A+ Attendance Review Committee will be composed of the following: 1. A+ Coordinator 2. An assistant principal 3. A counselor 4. A teacher After the A+ Attendance Review Committee reaches a decision, the A+ Schools Coordinator will notify the student and parents by letter. Tutoring Requirement A+ students are required to perform 50 hours of unpaid tutoring, of which up to 25% may be job shadowing (12.5 hours). The following guidelines are in effect for tutoring: Tutoring must be done during the school year or during summer school. Tutoring must be done on school district premises and supervised by a teacher employed by the district. If interested in job shadowing, please see the College and Career Guidance Counselor in the Guidance Office to obtain the proper Job Shadowing forms. Official time sheet must be signed by a school district official who has supervised the tutoring. Official time sheet must be kept by the student and turned in to the A+ Coordinator. The A+ student is responsible for being present at the agreed upon day and time for the tutoring. If absent, it is the responsibility of the A+ student to notify the adult in charge of the A+ tutoring experience in advance. All tutoring hours must be turned in one week prior to graduation. If the behavior expectations of the A+ tutor are not met the A+ Coordinator or the sponsoring school may terminate the tutoring experience.